Apparatuses for producing liquid containers have been known from the prior art for a long time. It is in particular known here that during the manufacturing process, containers such as for example plastic containers are initially produced in a moulding process and are subsequently filled with a beverage. Apart from this basic situation, however, such manufacturing systems for beverage containers are very different. Thus, different beverages, for example mineral water or juices, require quite different degrees of purity and/or sterilisation. Also the type of labelling of containers is very different and may be carried out for example by attaching self-adhesive labels or by attaching labels using glue. Further, also the most varied methods for sterilising the containers themselves are known. For this reason, such apparatus are always to be regarded as special machines which therefore require very high manufacturing expenses.
From the so far unpublished DE 10 2009 041 160.7, an apparatus for producing liquid containers is known. In this document it is proposed to provide a transport unit serving as an interface between the outfeed area of a moulding unit and the infeed area of the filling unit, so that a further unit for treating the plastic containers can be inserted into the apparatus between the moulding unit and the filling unit. The subject matter of DE 10 2009 041 160.7 is herewith included in the subject matter of the present application in its entirety by reference.
Further, apparatus are known from the prior art which are used for sterilising the plastic preforms. Thus, for example, an apparatus is known from DE 10 2008 038 143, which includes a sterilisation unit that applies a flowable medium onto a wall of the plastic preforms, and this sterilisation unit is provided on the transport path between a heating unit and the moulding unit for the plastic preforms. The subject matter of DE 10 2008 038 143 is herewith also included in the subject matter of the present application in its entire scope by disclosure.
Further, apparatus are known from the prior art, which allow a targeted temperature control of predetermined areas of the plastic preforms. DE 10 2009 021 792.4 is herewith also included in the subject matter of the present application in its entirety by reference and describes an apparatus for tempering plastic preforms, which includes contacting elements that contact an outside wall of the plastic preforms, in order to achieve in this way a targeted temperature profile on this outside wall of the plastic preforms.
It may therefore be desirable to provide an apparatus that can be adapted, with comparatively low effort, to the most varied circumstances, such as for example the most varied spatial circumstances, but also to different concepts.